The Sun. — London, England, 1818-03-04 00:00:00

CALAMITOUS FIRE IN THE STRAND. ConoNEtt's halt/EST.—La; night, at seven o'clock, an. Inquisition was taken before HUGH Listvts, Esq. Coroner of Westminster, at the house of Mr..Whitebrook, the Cannon, Hunger ford.street, Strand, on the bodies .of Mrs. Emma Wheater, the wife of Mr. Wheater, grocer, Strand, and Joseph Sttrger, his apprentice, who were burnt to death on Sunday morning last, in the conflagration of Mr. Wheater's premises ; and upon the body of James Tasker, the shnptuan, '.ho was kiled by throwing himself from a win !low When the ho . nse was on fire. A long hives ligation took place, hut no fact transpired in ad ("on to what our readers already know. Verdict Joseph Stnrger and Mrs. Emma %Vheater were a ccidentally burnt to death.• James Tasker's was Produced by a tall accidentally." .• A greatnuinbcr of temalvs in the vicinity of the Ntrand remain ill in consequence of the fright caSioned by the late calamitous fire in the Strand. In the case of Mrs. JACKSON, the wife of Mr. JACKSON, bookbinder, in Villiers-street, it has ' , roved fatal. That lady was among the first petson s attracted to the spot, and had arrived just in time to see the unfortunate Mrs. WHEATEM traversing her room in a state of distraction, •With her child in her arms, the moment before she threw it from the window, and was herself shortly after enveloped by the flames. Mrs. JACK- iuN returned Home in a state of great agitation 'tnL distress, (hiring the remainder of the day she was very restless, but was a little composed when she went to bed. In the night slit was taken ill, and at three o'clock on Monday she expired in a fit of t.pilepsy. Mr:. ,JACKSON was previously a firong, healthy-looking woman. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. STATEMENT OF THE ODDS ON THE DERBY, OAKS, &c.—Mmtcu 2. DERBY. TO to 1 agst c. by Waxy, out of NCDania. .to to I agst c. by Orville, out of Allegretto, 10 to 1 agst Dictator, out of }iornby Lass. 22 to I apt Brother to Crecy. 1:-1 to I agst c. by Seymour, out of Rosanna. 14 to I agst c. by Waxy, out of Rintail. OAKS. s to 1 . agst Lou, by Waxy. TO to 1 against any other. RIDDLR ,, WORTH STAKES. 5; to t.agst Brother to Crecy. hi to 1 agst Dictator, out of Hornby Lass. 71 to I. agst c. by Nlorm ion , out. of LancachireWitch 8 to 1 agst c. by Waxy, out of Rintail. 9 to 1 agst Sister to Nectar. Taherr Zen A PUBLIC SUPPER. If you wish fora sight, You may go Wry night To.FKeter 'th.inge in the strand Thorc a Sipp er so nice, Is distr . (' in a trice, For the Lion and all his Brute Band. • And permit me to stare, That you :nay not he late, The hour is heiween Ei:zht and Nine; As the time may suit some You're invited to come, Just after you've taken your wine. There too yott May see, To the number of three, Yout; Lions so ulityful and tamu, ItiThout :toy 63414-ter A e nors'd by each stranger, The' whelp'd by the Lion's fine-dame. 'And arnonzst ais Collection, Of un ivall'd selection, • Th' Hyena, while supu'er k carving, Proclaims by each Action His treat satisfaction, And amuses the guests with his laughing. Th e Wild Beasts of old, By Poets %ge.'re told, Out Orpheus had powers to charm, — Here the Keepers with ease Do just as they please, . With freedom, and free from alarm. A party of Gentlemen, consisting of many of the first Noble and Literary Characters in &lin 'i3orgh, are to give a dinner to Mr. JOHN 'EESt lit-R this day—Mr. WALTER SCOTT in the Chair, Ind Mr, FnANcts J,ItyFREY, Croupier. After "lower, an elegant stilitf-box, - of one hundred k"inetis value, is to be presented to Mr. Kessumt. (kdiuburgh Courant, Feb. 28.) A short time since an elderly Lady, of the name Of STYLES, died in Church -street, Windsor. She %as of penurious habits, and left a considerable p r operty, Some of the clothes which she wore Were given to her nurse, a poor woman of very tespeetable character : amongst these was a pair of "id stays, whi c h t h e d ecease d h a d worn t i ll her • ' 4 l moments. The nurse, in endeavouring, to re hair them, found Banknotes to the amount of 10 1, secreted in - the lining. With exemplary ho ne. -ty she initnediat e ly t ac k b ac k t h e same to the t *ectit ors of the deceased. LANIENTABLE CATATROPnE, s — r nIC ' following • " t !atressi ng accident happened at Tewkesbury, on i l l:lord a y afternoon :—As Lieut. Richard Brydges, N. with 'his brother Thomas, a midshipman, 11 , n dhis-y o n nges t b rot h er , Ch ar l es (a ll sons of Mr. "Ydges, of that Borough), accom p an i e d b y Lieu ' tt!tin t Butcher, R. N., were sailing in 'a plea - 14r e-boat upon the r iv er S evern , a b out m i dwa 1; y "ween the Upper and 'Lower Lode, a sudd en Eust of wicd upset the boat ; and, melancholy r" relate, the whole of them were drowned, with the exception of Mr. Thomas Brydges, who 4ith very great difficulty (owing to the strength of ;he current occasioned by the flood) got to the sburein the !new exhausted state. Mr. Brydges 114 d sailed down the river from Tewkesbury with a party, hilt got on shore at the Upper Lode, f " await their return, and get refreshments provided for them ; and thus probably he escaped the dreadful fail--which, in a few minutes, overtook his un- Mfortunate 'children and their friend. Lieutenant rydges was in his 26t1i year. i\IFLANCHoLY ACCIDENT. --- Yesterday after boon a party of Gentlemen were shootin g rab -1,4s near ‘Vyarton House, Bought on , and whilst one of them was in the act of discharg ing his - piece, a boy named Walter, who had been lying on the ground behind a busk tin . Perceived, suddenly raised his head, and re ceived the whole charge, which perforated tlle skull in several , laces from whence the brains oozed out, and he expired io about three hours Hf ter war ds. He was a promising youth, about 14 yehrs of age, and can of 117r.lhalter, botcher, tit t aplehUrSt.—(Maidstoite Journal, March 3.) PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OE LORDS, TUESDAY, MARCH 3. An account was presented of Recognizances entered into by persons on charges of Libel, to appear in the Court of King' Bench, where there had been no previous Indictment or - Information. —Ordered to be printed. The Office Indemnity Bill, and the Kilmainham Hospital Bill, were brought up from the House ►►f Commons by Mr. Brogden and other Members, and read a first time. • Mr.Thomspresented the Rules and Regulations, and Report of the Committee of the General Pe nitentiary at Milbank.—Ordered to he upon the Table. for the ed the h Jan: —The Lon ] yes y per- ctec/ in an• were 7 Cro4 II be d ia, from ►vbich , with Belts ; long. away and ►t the ianisb made re op Leeds tinder e put 1055, s lost The fl the &c. few . still es ; a re at • that RS Op tyre , w ss s cunt racy, d by 'or it. s Mr. sonic of IA enter. nsitC• Mog i g ive ie ail' Per mted. resi - and )Ire- select ess gt 01), d the rsss% , A be l: r , aoti ig her f (be iatice I ich 1e(01 5 J iarlY Wt.) Do of sly ilt iE.AII6 Ed to , Al' i. de' 1 7 ittif Po' f )1145f 'e re b ribv ,o the Jac" • at the hell! vote .ew'at th e r tor o ', or :11 pro, ad' . hat t D e ; lrity )11 this it 00't CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENTS. The Loan CHANCELLOR s ated, that George H. Rose; Esq. (who was sworn in yesterday) had, as Clerk of th e P ar li aments , Rppoin•ed Henry Cowper, EA. (present Clerk Assistant), to be one. Of his Deputies, to sign pavers, &c. and do , all acts in his a b sence appertaii,ing to the office of Cleik of the Parl . awents ; also that he had ape pointed George William Birch. Esq. (the Read ing Clerk), to be another of his , Dcptilies, to act as Clerk of the Parliaments in the absence ,if him- self and Mr. Cowper ; and also, that he had ap- ' pointed Benjamin Currie, Esq. to - assist at the table, to attend ComnCztees, end to act in the, otfiee'of Clerk of the Parliaments in ibe absence of himself and :.:owr_T, as occasion might require: Hip Lordship moved that these arrangements be approved, which was agreed to. Mr. Currie then came iu and took his seal at the table. CLIMBING BOYS. Petitions the practice of employing Climbing Boys in sweeping of chimnies, and in favour of the Chiniiwy Sw - ,!epers' Regulation 13111, were presewed by the Duke of SussEx, from Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, and Newing4on Green ; by the Marquis of Camden, from Chelms ford ; a Petition from Shrewsbury, and other Prtiiions, from difirent quarters, to the same etlect. Lord AUCKLAND gave notice of his intention to move the second reading of the Cbininey Sweeper's Regulation Bill on Tuesday next. The Earl of LAUDERDALE put it to the Noble Lord, Whether the House could be in a situation to give an opinion upon the Bill without having evidence before their Lordships to chew that Chimnies could be properly swept by Machinery. The Earl at Livraeoot. said, he had not at pre sent formed any opinion upon the subject, hut his idea was that the Bill should be allowed to go to the second reading, and that in the Com mittee evidence should be examined on both sides of the question. . _ Lord AUCKLAND said, he did not mean to op, pose the exatnimvioh of evidence ; he thought it right, however, to state, that when the Report of the Committee of tue House of Commons upon this subject, which was now printing, was before the Rouse,. a great bot►.y of evidence would be found in it. CLERGYMEN OFFICIATING IN GAOLS. The Marvin of LANSDOWNE adverted to the Clergrnen oiliciating in Gnols• Bill, which had been brought up from the House of Comoros and read a first time, and gave notice of hiS in tention to move the second reading on Thursday next., The BISHOP of LONDON intimated that he in tended to oppose one of the clauses in the Bill. PERSONS DETAINED UNDER THE LATE SUSPEN- SION ACTS. The Ball -Ot CARNARVON (understanding the motion would not be opposed), moved an humble Address to the Prince Regent, praying his, Royal Highness would be graciously pleaded to order a Return to he laid before ti:e Huse Of. all persons who had been arrested and de , ained on charges of being concerned in riotous andlumultuous assem blages, or whose papers had been seized, or their houses searched, in consequence or Such charges ; together With copies of the authorities under which such acts had been done, and the dates of the discharge of such persons. Lord Viscount StOmcitYrn expressed his readiness to furnish every information that be could, consist ently with his duty; with respect to a part of the morioo:beditinot believe there was any information hLs office, but all that he could procure upon ,be subject shouild'be afforded. The motion was agreed to. INDEMNI .Y BILL. _ Lord HOLLAND, previous to their Lordships' resolving into a Committee on the Bill, spoke at some length on the subject, and in reference chiefly to the statements in the preamble of Bill, thought some explanation \vas necessary, as in his then view of the-subject, he deemed some of the enactments. nut only various hut contra dictory. There were some considerations which _ _ forcibly struck him in the way of query, and of which he wished for a solution. The principal of these seemed to. be, whether an individual who bad been arrested and detailed, and subsequently discharged in 'the way that several of these re cently had been, was recently - exempted thereby from future prosecution, or was pldced in the full enjoyment of all his legal right as a British sub ject in consequence of such discharge. The LOAD CHANCELLOR, in consequence of what had fallen from the Noble Lord, entered into a legal view of the points adverted to at some length. lle argued most ably for the ne cessity, .on the special and extraordinary circum stances of the case, of protecting the Magistrates and nll those who bad necessarily acted limier the authority which recently existed for the safety of the State ; and above all, that the sources of their information should not be disclosed. XVitli respect to the doubts entertained, he seemed of opinion, that the proceedings which took place ra the Court of King's Bench went on those juri dical principles on which all cases of the kind pro ceeded; and if the Judges of that Court, on those 6.:easions, had acted illegally, all those who pre them had so acted. This was the best opi- Ilion he could at that time give upon his view of what was referred to, and he should he ready to give any further information in his power respec ting the puinis. Their Lordships then resolved into the Com mittee, the Earl of SHAFTESBURY in the Chair. In the course of conversation, Lord GRENVILLP. gavebis opinion that there was no necessity for &parting from the ordinary course Of proceeding in this case. In the result the preamble was postponed. The clauses being entered upon, the Earl of LAUDERDALE 4 proposed as an Amendment, that the words " ISt day of January," the time fixed fur the operation of the Act to commence, should be left out, in order to insert the words " 4th day of March:" This proposition gave rise to sonic discu,sion. The .Earl of LIVERPOOL contended for the pro priety of the Bilk having a retrospective effect; but eventually would not . object tti the dates be ing altered to the 26th of January, the day pre vious to the meeting of Parliament. In the course of the further discussion,.• Lord HOLLAND declared his intention to move a ploviso, founded on his legal \:iew oldie case, as stated by him before their Lordships' entered into the Cominittee, the object of which should be, that persons d'schargA as they had been . during the continuance of the recent 'Suspension, should he fully entitled to all the benefits of a legal 'discharge, notwithstanding whatever in technicality there may have been in suet) pro cedure; A discussion of some length ensued on what had tall,ql from the Noble Lord, in the course of which Lord ERSKINE declared his opinion that some: proviso of the kind would be proper. The LORD CHANCELLOR and the Earl of LIVER POOL most ably and at considerable length an swered the various objections which were urged by the opposing Peers against the measure, chiefly on those grounds and principles on which their former speeches, in justification of the measure, were founded. Lord ERSKINE proposed the introduction of a proviso, tending to exclude trout the general in demnity such persons as had acted, in the execu tion of their functions, '' maliciously, or without just cause." The LORD CHANCELLOR contended strenuously against the adoption of such a proviso, as mili tating against the principle, and tending to de feat the main object of the measure. In. the course of the discussion which followed, Lord ERSKINE's Proviso was negatived, as were several others moved by the Earl of . LAUDERDALB and other Peers. Lord HOLLAND moved the Proviso of which he hail notified his intention early in the evening, and which was also negatived. An Amendment proposed by the LORD CHAN cELLoitto the Preamble, to the effect of strength enint; and rendering more clear the principle of the Bill, was agreed to by the Committee. The House then resuming, the Report was or dered to be received to-morrow ; sod Thursday was mentioned as the intended day for tile third . . reading of the Bill. After which their Lordships ajourned. HOUSn OF COMMONS. • A person. from the British MuScum presented certain AccOunts rel:-Itive to the Books received last year front Stationers' H a ll, w hich was . or dered to be printed. ' POORS' RATES. MI% LUSHINGTON having presented a variety of papers relative to the Poors'llates, being chiefly, a►s was understood, the Returns 'orSums collected for this purpose in different Districts, Mr. D. GILBERT, on moving that these Papers he printed, expressed his opinion that unless the evil of regulations that now existed were done away, or brought at least within some limits, it could not tail to he the ruin of the country. The Committee, however, which had sat last• Session, had been so indefatigable lit their labours, that he trusted the subject they had investi t ►ated would meet the deepest attention, and the result lee ge nerally satisfactory. Sir C MoocK was certaiu the country would not be satisfied ituless his Majesty's Government came forward, ,and fairly and radically removed the evil. Mr. CALCRAFT (lid not wish to deny that tl►e Poor's Rates were an evil ; but 'he did not see how it was in the power of I►is Majesty's Govern ment to remove it. If the Hon. Gentleman was sincere in his wish, and he had no reason to doubt his sincerity, let him bring in a Bill to re medy the evil, that it might be seen what means he would propose. But the fact was, that the real evil of pauperism, and consequent poor's rates, arose chiefly from excessive taxation. These rates had reached their highest point, and were now gradually declining, so that we should soon have'no occasion to alter a system that had been established for ages, and been productive of so much _benefit., But Gentlemen might in a great degree thank themselves for the height which the evil bad attained. They would have a Corn Bill, and Country Bank Paper, and yet they wanted a low price of labour and moderate poor rates. The things - were inconsistent ; for if they will have a. high price for corn, there must be high poor rates, as the wages of labour - were not sufficient for the support of human existence, and both la bourers and their - tamilies•Must eat. He cared not, however, of what pl'ice corn was, so that proper support could be found for the labourer. But he would be one of those who would never set his face against the Act of Elizabeth. Sir-C. Moticx wished it t'o'be understood that was against the abuse of the Poor Laws that he had spoken, and not aga►nst any part of the Act which provides support for the aged and Mr. F. LEWIS hoped that 'on so important a subject there would not 'he a premature discus sion,.or any thing said that might be misunder stood and create alarm. Ton much praise could not be given to the labours of, the Committee ; but - he was afraid they would incur the imputation of blame for over caution, though he would rather they should be blamed for this than for precipita tion. He hoped the House would set themselves against the system with all its abuses, but not let it be entertained that the relief at present afforded was intended to be withdrawn. It was impossible, he thought, that any person could entertain such au idea. He would say there was impending danger to the country from the gradual increase in the number of paupers, who would sooner or later absorb all the profits of the land, and there fore he hoped the Holise would preserve the coot - try froni ruin as es - the .paupers themselves. He trusted ,the subject would be brought gre►- du before the House, and undergo full and complete discussion ; but he would say that this country would hav!.l.been inconparably happier if the Act of Elizabeth had never passed, and the labouring classes in particular would have been much better off. There was nothing he was less anxions•to see than high price of land and low price of. labour, but if there was any thing that he was most anxious to see removed, it was low wages, wlfich obliged the labouring classes to throw themselves on the Poor Laws. This was caused by the detestable system of paying la bourers out of the Poor's Rates. The farmers paid them sixpence a day, and made them take to the amount of eighteen or nineteen shill.ags week from the palish. There was besides a m o at injurious- system of Manufachifing goods, o be sent\ahroad for sale, at prices Wow what they could even be male -for, becanse patt of the cost was .paid by the land, in the.shape _of Poiir Rates, whi l e the land reaped no benefit from the traffic. He entreated the House not to be led away by the view that taxation was the cause of the numb( rof paupers and high rates. Nothing, was-more fallacious than that taxation had effect ed the amottot of paupers, or the sums raised for their support. He denied the assertion altoge ther. What was urged was, that persons were to impoverished - by taxation, that they were unable to pay a fair price for labour. But taxation only altered the channel of expenditure. If the per sons who paid taxes had the money to spend, in stead of distributing it through the hands of Go vernment, there - would be even a greater number of paupers titan there are. At present the Mo ney raised by taxes went to employ snldiers and sailors, anti to pay for the making of powder, the building and repairing of sh i ps, and ail the various articles of national stores. Thus it must be seen that Government, by means of taxation, became notch greater employers of labour than it taxation (lid not exist. Even persons who lived by the in terest of money in the Stocks, employed more hands than it they derived their income by less di rect and certain means. When the distress .of the country had been so much discussed, it was urged that the principal cause of it was, that Go vernment had withdrawn itself front the market. ,And how could Government employ 'labour at all, either in peace or war, but for taxation ? He did not mean to say that a great deal of money had not been squandered away ; but this was a minor point, and the fact was, that taxation only tended to change the hands through which the money passed, instead of checking or diminishing the quantity of labonr. Mr..fittonottaat regretted that the lion. Ge n -• tleman had not kept his promise at not entering prematurely into a discussion .of this important subject. He had thought fit to enter into the topic till he had exhausted it; as far-perhaps as reiated to all he had to say upon it ; and then he branched out into the benefits of taxation. On this point he had favoured the House with the discovery, that taxation, however far carried, had no effect in inCreasing the number of paupers ; that where a person paid 1,0001. a-year, it made no difference whether that 1,0001. were taken to give to a sinecure .Lord of the Admiral ty, or laid out in the employment of a number of artisans. He pledged himself against all and every part of such opinions and he would further pledge him self to show that there never was any proposition more fallacious, or thore dangerous if believed ; and that this falsehood was as demonstrable as the - selfevident nature of the last discovery. . . Mr. F. LEWIS explained. , It did not appear.to be a self-evident proposition, that the number of* paupers was •occasioned by taxation alone. Mr. Baouottam replied, that he had not heard such en opinion had ever been entertained. Mr. CaLcaxPT denied that he had ever meant to say that the ()amber of panpera was occasioned by taxation, but only that this was a principal in gredient tonards it. Mr. CURWEN said, the great object was, to alter the mode of receiving the rates, without which we never could restore the poor to their former independence. There was not a labourer in the country who did not pay a 25th part of his wages for salt alone. _ T►he papers were ordered to be printed. Mr. H. SUMNER presented a petition front the Bakers' Company, the precise nature of which could not be heard; but it was understood to pray for an alteration of the Act of the third of his preieut Majesty, respecting the weighing of bread —Read, and ordered to lie on the table. Several petitions were presented from dif f erent borlies of Tannert, praying for a repeal of the New Duty on Leat her. Mr. W. DOUGLAS put off the notice of his Motion, which stood for to-morrow, till Wednesday week. PEI ITIONS. Sir M. AV. RIDLEY presented . a Petition from certain in habitants of the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, praying. for a Reform in Parliament, and that no Indemnity Bill might pass. Mr. LAM BTON• took this opportunity to say, that he should oppose this Bill in every stage. The Petition was orderea to lie on the table, Mr. MANNING presented a Petition, praying, as was under stood, amendment in the London Docks Bill.--Ordered to lie on the table. • Mi. CtENFELL, on behalf of an Hon. Friend (ve believe Sir .1. Mackintosh) who not able to attend, postponed his motion, which stood tor this day, till this day fortnight. The Bank Tokan.Penalty Suspensioa Rill was read a first and second time. . POLICE REPORT. Mr. H. SmtNEß'pre,ented d Petition from the Magistrates of the Epsot:► Division, complaining of having been calumniated by the evidence befote the Police Committee. It• prayed for, inquiry into their conduct respecting the licensing of pub lic houses. After a short conversation between Mr. REN NET, Lord LASCELLES, Mr. H. :SUMNER, and Mr. THORNTON, in the cc utse of which many com pliments were paid to the Petitioners, and it was observed by Mr. BENNET that certain passages in the Repot t. were in no degree directed against them, the Petition was ordered to lieon the table. LORD SIDMOUTFI'S CIRCULAR. Mr. BENNET said, he had a Petition to present from a person who bad been most cruelly used, nOi in consequence of the • Suspension of the Hi beds Corpus Act, but from the undue and soul- dalous severity xvltich certain country Magistrate§ had exercised under the authority of the Circular Letter transmitted by the Noble Secretary of State. He was quite satisfied that it was not the intention of the Noble Lord that such cruelties